Students have been crossing boarders — as well as oceans, in pursuit of learning experiences for thousands of years. They’ve evolved from serving apprenticeships to craftsmen to studying abroad to broaden their horizons in art, medicine, math and business. Regardless of what the field of study, certain benefits are enjoyed by all:

1. An overwhelming majority of college students report a sense of personal growth. As a student, they will need to stretch their comprehension skills as they learn to cross language barriers and culture differences. There’s also a general feeling that their worldview and tolerance has broadened, which leads to increased maturity at an earlier age. Friendships developed while studying abroad tend to last a lifetime which keeps the global influence alive when making everyday decisions.

2. You will represent your country with all that you do. College students abroad are given opportunities to extend diplomacy with every interaction they have. You’ll have the opportunity to become what could be some people’s first (and maybe only) dealings with an American citizen. While you’ll be learning, you could also be teaching at the same time. In the process your world view will change and you’ll have a unique opportunity to reflect on your value system.

3. A sharper view of future goals. The majority of American college students return home with a renewed passion to extend their learning by going to graduate school. Some even come back with a completely new career path that they might not have ever realized if they’d not journeyed a far.

In past decades students committed to year-long programs, but the current trend is toward six to ten-week sojourns to other countries. Today’s short-term programs do indeed deliver benefits, but the longer a student studies abroad the greater the rewards.

If you are still in college, now is the perfect time to look into the possibility of joining the ranks of those who have studied abroad. Your advisor can counsel you about transferring credits and financial aid, as well as guide you through the application process. What have you got to lose?

Jim Hart has been the director of academic advising at a medium-sized university for eight years. His interests include student exchange programs, online college graduate degrees, career advising, online degrees in the sciences, and CLEP examinations.